Chu vs. Obama on Gas Taxes

Obama's nominee for energy secretary, Steven Chu, is a man after my own heart when it comes to gas taxes. From the WSJ:

In a sign of one major internal difference [with Obama], Mr. Chu has called for gradually ramping up gasoline taxes over 15 years to coax consumers into buying more-efficient cars and living in neighborhoods closer to work. "Somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe," Mr. Chu...said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal in September. But Mr. Obama has dismissed the idea of boosting the federal gasoline tax, a move energy experts say could be the single most effective step to promote alternative energies and temper demand. Mr. Obama said Sunday that a heightened gas tax would be a "mistake" because it would put "additional burdens on American families right now."

Note the "now," which leaves Obama wiggle room for "later." Kudos to Obama for naming Chu when his views will surely make headlines during his confirmation hearings. Can we ever have a president who on gas taxes tells us "what we need to hear, not what we want to hear"? Maybe we can!